Substrate electroplating jig

ABSTRACT

A substrate plating jig including a first plate-shaped holding member and a second holding member including a ring-shaped seal packing, including an internal circumferential part, an external circumferential part, and an opening formed at the center of the ring-shaped seal packing. Leading edges of the internal circumferential part and external circumferential part of the ring-shaped seal packing come in close contact with a substrate surface-to-be plated and the first holding member, respectively. The edge of the substrate-to-be-plated is held between the internal circumferential part and the external circumferential part of the ring-shaped seal packing. The substrate surface-to-be-plated is exposed in the opening. A first ring-shaped conducting member includes multiple protruding contact points inside the ring-shaped seal packing, and the substrate surface-to-be-plated comes in contact with the protruding contact points inside the ring-shaped seal packing by interposing and clamping the substrate-to-be-plated between the first holding member and the second holding member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a plating jig for holding a substrate when performing electrolytic plating on the substrate.

BACKGROUND ART

When applying electrolytic plating on substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass plates, or ceramic plates, a plating jig that holds the substrate is configured to cause a conducting pin to come into contact with a conductive film on the substrate in a state of holding the substrate. Subsequently, in a state of holding the substrate with the plating jig, the substrate is immersed in electrolytic plating solution in a plating solution bath together with the jig, and electric current is passed from the conducting pin, so that the electrolytic plating is achieved.

However, since the conducting pin of the plating jig of the related art is exposed to the plating solution, plating is precipitated also on the conducting pin, and hence plating efficiency is low and replacement of the conducting pin requires time.

Reported technologies to avoid exposure of the conducting pin to the plating solution include, for example, a configuration in which a sealing member to seal a semiconductor wafer is provided so as to prevent plating solution from flowing over surfaces other than a plating surface of the semiconductor wafer, and a cathode contact point is provided on a surface of the sealed semiconductor wafer that does not come into contact with the plating solution (PTL 1).

The present inventors also report a plating jig for semiconductor wafers provided with a conducting member having an angular U-shape in a side view instead of the conducting pin inside a seal packing and configured to cause the angular U-shaped conducting member to come into contact with a conductive film exposed to the surface of the semiconductor wafer so as to straddle a member that conducts electricity with an external electrode (PTL 2).

Although these technologies can suppress exposure of the conducting pin and the conducting member to the plating solution, they have problems that the conducting pin and the conducting member are not configured to reliably come into contact with the semiconductor wafer for conducting electricity, replacement of the conducting pin and the conducting member requires time because of being too small in size, and replacement of the seal packing also requires time.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: JP-A-6-108285

PTL 2: Japanese patent No. 3847434

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a plating jig which prevents a conducting pin and a conducting member from being exposed to plating solution during plating of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass plate, or a ceramic plate, ensures conduction of electricity to the substrate, and allows easy replacement of the conducting pin, the conducting member, and a seal packing.

Solution to Problem

As a result of earnest investigation to solve the above-described problem, in a substrate plating jig including: a second holding member provided with a ring-shaped seal packing having an internal circumferential part and an external circumferential part and an opening formed at the center of the ring-shaped seal packing, wherein a substrate-to-be-plated is interposed and clamped between the first holding member and the second holding member so as to be held therebetween, so that leading edges of the internal circumferential part and the external circumferential part of the ring-shaped seal packing come into close contact with a surface-to-be-plated of the substrate-to-be-plated and the first holding member, respectively, and an edge of the substrate-to-be-plated is held between the internal circumferential part and the external circumferential part of the ring-shaped seal packing, and the substrate surface-to-be-plated is exposed in the opening, the present inventors have found the fact that, by providing a special-shaped conducting member inside the ring-shaped seal packing, the conducting member is not exposed to plating solution during plating of the substrate-to-be-plated, and conduction of electricity to the substrate-to-be-plated is ensured and, in addition, replacement of the seal packing can be easily performed. Thus the invention was completed.

In other words, the present invention provides a substrate plating jig including: a first plate-shaped holding member; and a second holding member provided with a ring-shaped seal packing having an internal circumferential part and an external circumferential part and an opening formed at the center of the ring-shaped seal packing, wherein a substrate-to-be-plated is interposed and clamped between the first holding member and the second holding member so as to be held therebetween, so that leading edges of the internal circumferential part and the external circumferential part of the ring-shaped seal packing come into close contact with a surface-to-be-plated of the substrate-to-be-plated and the first holding member, respectively, and an edge of the substrate-to-be-plated is held between the internal circumferential part and the external circumferential part of the ring-shaped seal packing, and the substrate surface-to-be-plated is exposed in the opening, wherein a first ring-shaped conducting member having multiple protruding contact points is provided inside the ring-shaped seal packing, and the substrate-to-be-plated is interposed and clamped between the first holding member and the second holding member so as to be held therebetween, so that the substrate surface-to-be-plated and the protruding contact points come into contact with each other inside the ring-shaped seal packing.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

By using the substrate plating jig of the present invention, the conducting member is not exposed to the plating solution, and conduction of electricity to the substrate may be ensured and, in addition, replacement of the seal packing is easily performed during plating of substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass plates, or ceramic plates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an entire substrate plating jig of the invention.

[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a general view of a first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points (substantially trapezoidal shape) used for the substrate plating jig of the invention.

[FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 2.

[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a partial view of the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points (substantially rectangular shape) used for the substrate plating jig of the invention.

[FIG. 5] FIG. 5 is a partial view of the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points (substantially triangular shape) used for the substrate plating jig of the invention.

[FIG. 6] FIG. 6 is a partial view of the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points (substantially rod shape) used for the substrate plating jig of the invention.

[FIG. 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship among members when a first holding member 2 of the substrate plating jig of the invention is stacked on a second holding member 3.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a description of the present invention will be continued by reference to drawings illustrating a mode of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an entire substrate plating jig configured to hold a circular semiconductor wafer. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a substrate plating jig, 2 denotes a first holding member, 3 denotes a second holding member, 4 denotes a ring-shaped seal packing, 5 denotes a first ring-shaped conducting member having multiple protruding contact points, 6 denotes an opening, 7 denotes a second conducting member, 8 denotes a substrate base, 9 denotes a semiconductor wafer, 10 denotes a grip, and 11 denotes a hinge mechanism.

The substrate base 8 having substantially the same shape as the semiconductor wafer 9 is provided on an upper surface of the first holding member 2. Although the height of the substrate base 8 is not specifically limited, a height sufficient for providing a space which accommodates parts such as the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4 is required. Also, the second conducting member 7 configured to conduct electricity with an external electrode is provided on the upper surface of the first holding member 2. The second conducting member 7 is positioned so as to come into contact with the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4 and conduct electricity when the semiconductor wafer 9 is interposed and clamped between the first holding member 2 and the second holding member 3 so as to be held therebetween. Electricity is conducted to the second conducting member 7 by a connection between the second conducting member 7 and a conductive member (not illustrated) embedded in the first holding member 2 or drawn from a rear surface.

The shape of the second conducting member 7 is not specifically limited as long as it allows the second conducting member 7 to come into contact with the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points easily, and shapes of a leaf spring, a coil spring, and the like are exemplified. A third conducting member (not illustrated) is preferably provided at a position corresponding to the position where the second conducting member 7 comes into contact with the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points in order to further ensure the contact. Although a contact method between the second conducting member 7 and the third conducting member of this case is not specifically limited, for example, sliding contact utilizing a plug type conducting member is preferable.

In the above description, electricity is conducted by the second conducting member 7 which is configured to conduct electricity with the external electrode and provided on the first holding member 2 so as to come into contact with the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points. Basically, however, the method of conduction of electricity from the external electrode to the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points is not specifically limited as long as sealing property of the ring-shaped seal packing 4 is not hindered when the semiconductor wafer 9 is interposed and clamped between the first holding member 2 and the second holding member 3 so as to be held therebetween. Examples of such a method include, in addition to the method described above, a method where a fourth conducting member (not illustrated) configured to conduct electricity with the external electrode is provided on the first holding member 2 and is connected directly to the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points via wiring to conduct electricity. The fourth conducting member used here is preferably formed of a soft conductive member (not illustrated) and is configured to bend or expand and contract so as to be accommodated inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4 when the semiconductor wafer 9 is interposed and clamped between the first holding member 2 and the second holding member 3 so as to be held therebetween. Since the length of the fourth conducting member may be decreased, the connection of the fourth conducting member to the second conducting member 7 and the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points is preferably performed in the vicinity of the hinge mechanism 11.

On the other hand, the second holding member 3 includes the ring-shaped seal packing 4 and the opening 6 having a slightly smaller inner diameter than the semiconductor wafer 9 at the center of the seal packing 4 on an upper surface thereof. The first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points is provided inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4. In addition, the second holding member 3 may be provided with a groove or a shoulder which allows the ring-shaped seal packing 4 to be fixed easily.

The ring-shaped seal packing 4 is not specifically limited as long as it has an internal circumferential part and an external circumferential part, and is preferably formed into a substantially C-shape, a substantially J-shape, a substantially U-shape, and a substantially angular U-shape. Among these shapes, the substantially angular U-shape having a higher edge on the external circumferential part than on the internal circumferential part is preferable.

The first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points is provided inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4. FIG. 2 shows a general view of the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points, and FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the ring-shaped first conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points taken along the line A-A′.

The first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points has a size enough to be accommodated inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4, and includes a ring-shaped conducting member 5 a and protruding contact points 5 b. Multiple protruding contact points 5 b have, for example, a substantially trapezoidal shape, a substantially rectangular shape, a substantially triangular shape, or a substantially rod shape, and are provided on the ring-shaped conducting member 5 a toward a center of the ring-shaped seal packing 4 or the opening 6 at an angle of θ. Other examples of the shape of the protruding contact points 5 b are shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6. The protruding contact points 5 b may be formed separately from the ring-shaped conducting member 5 a and coupled with the ring-shaped conducting member 5 a by welding or the like. However, in terms of ease of replacement, the ring-shaped conducting member 5 a and the protruding contact points 5 b are preferably formed integrally by press work or the like from a board-shaped material. The number of the protruding contact points 5 b cannot be specified because it varies depending on the size of the semiconductor wafer, but six or more is preferable. The angle θ of the protruding contact points 5 b provided on the ring-shaped conducting member 5 a ranges from 15 to 45°, preferably 30°. The material of the conducting member 5 a and the protruding contact points 5 b is not specifically limited as long as it conducts electricity, and materials such as phosphor bronze or stainless spring steel having a certain degree of hardness and resiliency are exemplified. By using the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points as described above, electricity is surely conducted to the semiconductor wafer 9 interposed and clamped between the first holding member 2 and the second holding member 3 so as to be held therebetween. In addition, by providing the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4, the ring-shaped seal packing 4 may be held at a uniform pressure when the semiconductor wafer 9 is interposed and clamped between the first holding member 2 and the second holding member 3 so as to be held therebetween and hence, deformation of the seal packing may be reduced. Consequently, the sealing property of the seal packing is improved, and entry of the plating solution into the conducting portion may be suppressed.

In order to fix the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4, chemical means such as a double-faced adhesive tape or an adhesive agent, or physical means such as screwing may be employed. If the physical means such as screwing is employed, replacement of the ring-shaped seal packing 4 or the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points is easily performed.

In order to interpose and clamp the semiconductor wafer 9 between the first holding member 2 and the second holding member 3 and hold the same, for example, the hinge mechanism 11 is provided on the first holding member 2 and the second holding member 3, and edges on the sides opposite to the hinge mechanism 11 may be fixed with a clamp or an angular U-shaped fixture (both not illustrated). For the fixation of the first holding member 2 and the second holding member 3, a clamper disclosed in Japanese Patent No.3629396 may be used.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship among the first holding member 2, the second holding member 3, the ring-shaped seal packing 4, the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points, the second conducting member 7, the substrate base 8, the semiconductor wafer 9, and a conductive member 12 in a case where the second holding member 3 is stacked on the first holding member 2. By stacking the second holding member 3 on the first holding member 2, leading edges of an internal circumferential part 4 a and an external circumferential part 4 b of the ring-shaped seal packing 4 come into close contact with a surface-to-be-plated of the semiconductor wafer 9 and the first holding member 2, respectively, so as to be sealed. An edge of the semiconductor wafer 9 is held between the internal circumferential part 4 a and the external circumferential part 4 b of the ring-shaped seal packing 4, and the surface-to-be-plated of the semiconductor wafer 9 and the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points come into contact with each other inside the ring-shaped seal packing 4. Further, the second conducting member 7 that conducts electricity with the external electrode through the conductive member 12 comes into contact with the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points, and thus electricity is conducted. Consequently, the inside of the ring-shaped seal packing 4 is sealed, and hence the first ring-shaped conducting member 5 having multiple protruding contact points and the second conducting member 7 conducting electricity with the external electrode are not exposed to the plating solution.

By performing electrolytic plating using the substrate plating jig described thus far, the conducting member is not exposed to the plating solution and conduction of electricity to the substrate may be ensured and, in addition, easy replacement of the seal packing is enabled.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The substrate plating jig of the invention may be used for manufacture of semiconductors.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1: substrate plating jig

2: first holding member

3: second holding member

4: ring-shaped seal packing

4 a: internal circumferential part

4 b: external circumferential part

5: first ring-shaped conducting member having multiple protruding contact points

5 a: ring-shaped conducting member

5 b: protruding contact point

6: opening

7: second conducting member

8: substrate base

9: semiconductor wafer

10: grip

11: hinge mechanism

12: conductive member 

1-5. (canceled)
 6. A substrate plating jig comprising: a first plate-shaped holding member; and a second holding member including a ring-shaped seal packing including an internal circumferential part and an external circumferential part and an opening formed at the center of the ring-shaped seal packing, wherein a substrate-to-be-plated is interposed and clamped between the first holding member and the second holding member so as to be held therebetween, so that leading edges of the internal circumferential part and the external circumferential part of the ring-shaped seal packing come into close contact with a substrate surface-to-be-plated and the first holding member, respectively, and an edge of the substrate-to-be-plated is held between the internal circumferential part and the external circumferential part of the ring-shaped seal packing, and the substrate surface-to-be-plated is exposed in the opening; and a second conducting member or a fourth conducting member configured to conduct electricity with an external electrode is provided on the first holding member, a first ring-shaped conducting member having multiple protruding contact points is provided inside the ring-shaped seal packing, the substrate-to-be-plated is interposed and clamped between the first holding member and the second holding member so as to be held therebetween, whereby the substrate surface-to-be-plated and the protruding contact points come into contact with each other inside the ring-shaped seal packing.
 7. The substrate plating jig according to claim 6, wherein the substrate-to-be-plated is interposed and clamped between the first holding member and the second holding member so as to be held therebetween, whereby the first ring-shaped conducting member having multiple protruding contact points and the second conducting member come into contact with each other inside the ring-shaped seal packing and electricity is conducted.
 8. The substrate plating jig according to claim 6, wherein contact between the first conducting member and the second conducting member is achieved by sliding contact.
 9. The substrate plating jig according to claim 6, wherein the fourth conducting member is connected directly to the first ring-shaped conducting member having multiple protruding contact points via wiring, and electricity is conducted.
 10. The substrate plating jig according to claim 6, wherein the first plate-shaped holding member and the second holding member are connected by a hinge mechanism.
 11. The substrate plating jig according to claim 9, wherein the fourth conducting member is bent or expanded and contracted to be accommodated inside the ring-shaped seal packing when the substrate-to-be-plated is interposed and clamped between the first holding member and the second holding member so as to be held therebetween. 